Hunger Doesn't Take a Break

Hungry Students Turn to Regional Food Bank for Help

Oklahoma City – (March 6 , 2015) – For most students, spring break means a hiatus from homework and classes, but for thousands of Oklahoma City Public School students who rely on free or reduced price meals, it can also mean going without food. Thankfully, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is continuing to fight childhood hunger while school is out.

From March 9 through 20, any student 18 and under can receive a free lunch and snack weekdays at the following Oklahoma City locations, which are partner agencies of the Regional Food Bank:

Douglass, located at 900 ML King. Lunch is served at 12 p.m. and snacks are served at 3:30 p.m.

Downtown YMCA, located at 1 N.W. 4th Street. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. and snacks are served at 3:30 p.m.

McKinley Park, located at 1300 N. McKinley. Lunch is served at 1 p.m. and snacks are served at 3 p.m.

I Can Family Center, located at 3200 N.W. 48th Street. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. and snacks are served at 3:30 p.m.

Melrose, located at 7800 Melrose Lane. Lunch is served at 12 p.m. and snacks are served at 3 p.m.

Minnis, located at 12520 N.E. 36th Street. Lunch is served at 12 p.m. and snacks are served at 3 p.m.

Neighborhoods in Action, located at 1124 N. Douglas. Lane, Midwest City. Lunch is served at 12 p.m. and snacks are served 3 p.m.

North Side YMCA, located at 10000 N. Penn. Lunch is served at 12 p.m. lunch and snacks are served at 3:30 p.m.

Pilot, located at 1435 NW 2nd Street. Lunch is served at 12 p.m. and snacks are served at 3 p.m.

Pitts, located at 1920 N. Kate Avenue. Lunch is served at 12 p.m. and snacks are served at 3 p.m.

Salvation Army B&GC, located at 2808 S.E. 44th. Lunch is served at 12 p.m. and snacks are served at 3:30 p.m.

Schilling, located at 539 S.E. 25th Street. Lunch is served at 12 p.m. and snacks are served at 2:30 p.m.

Sellers, located at 8301 S. Villa Avenue. Lunch is served at 1 p.m. and snacks are served at 3 p.m.

Southern Oaks, located at 400 S.W. 66th Street. Lunch is served at 12:30 p.m. and snacks are served at 3 p.m.

St Jude Missionary Baptist, located at 1001 N.W. 92nd. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. and snacks are served at 2:50 p.m.

Urban League, located at 3900 N. MLK Avenue. Lunch is served at 12 p.m. and snacks are served at 3 p.m.

“While most children look forward to relaxing over spring break, parents of thousands of Oklahoma students worry about how to feed their children. This puts additional stress on families who are already struggling to make ends meet,” said Rodney Bivens, executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. “In Oklahoma City, many families depend on free or reduced price school meals to provide their children with basic nutrition.”

The Regional Food Bank is able to help provide nutritious food for school break through partnerships with I Can Family Center, Neighborhoods in Action, Oklahoma City Parks & Recreation, Oklahoma City Public Schools, St. Jude Missionary Baptist Church, Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City and YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City.

The Regional Food Bank is also alleviating hunger over spring break through the Food for Kids Backpack Program by providing chronically hungry elementary school students with extra sacks of food.

Together, we can solve hunger. The majority of those served by the Regional Food Bank are the working poor, children and seniors living on fixed incomes. Through April 30, the Charles and Cassandra Bowen Charitable Foundation and the Anderson Charitable Foundation have teamed up to match donations to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to fight senior hunger – up to $130,000. To make a donation, visit regionalfoodbank.org or call 405.600.3136.

The Regional Food Bank is the largest private hunger-relief organization in the state of Oklahoma. Last fiscal year, the nonprofit distributed 47.8 million pounds of food and products through a network of nearly 1,200 charitable feeding programs and schools in 53 central and western Oklahoma counties.

About the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is the state’s largest private hunger relief organization. The nonprofit provides enough food to feed more than 110,000 hungry Oklahomans each week through a network of nearly 1,200 schools and charitable feeding programs in 53 central and western Oklahoma counties. Since its inception in 1980, the Regional Food Bank has distributed more than 550 million pounds of food to feed Oklahoma’s hungry. For more information, visit http://www.regionalfoodbank.org; find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/regionalfoodbank or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rfbo.